HORACE RICHARDSON hopes his time is now

[PonyPride]

Horace Richardson's waiting period is over …. or so he hopes.

The former Everman (Texas) High School star has patiently waited his turn to become a regular part of the Mustangs' secondary, showing flashes of his talent along the way. But injuries and experienced upperclassmen have kept him from becoming a regular. In 2012, as a true freshman, Richardson got on the field against Texas A&M, but a knee injury required surgery, earning him a medical redshirt but sidelining him for the rest of the season. Last year, he played in eight games in a reserve role behind starters Kenneth Acker and Chris Parks.

Throughout the offseason, Richardson was viewed by many as a lock to claim one of the starting cornerback spots. But in preseason camp, he has been slowed by nagging injuries, including a knee injury. "I think it's just scar tissue from my (2012) surgery," he said, "but I'll be fine" — that cost him a few days of practice. Sitting out, he said, was merely a precaution by the SMU medical staff.

Richardson, like any successful athlete, wouldn't be where he is without a competitive streak that made it frustrating, at times, to watch his older teammates last year. But while he longed to get on the field, Richardson admitted he learned while watching.

"I think I'm a smarter player" compared to this time a year ago, Richardson said. "I started to notice stuff I didn't always see before. Now I know the defense better."

Richardson said that what the Mustangs' secondary lacks in experience should be made up in overall athleticism.

"We have a chance to be pretty good," he said. "We're really young, though. (Safety) Hayden (Greenbauer) is a senior, but the rest of us are underclassmen, right? We'll learn. Some of us have been here for a couple of years. Shak (safety Shakiel Randolph), (cornerback) J.R. (Richardson), (cornerback) Ajee (Montes), (safety) A.J. (Justice), 'D-Rich' (safety Darrion Richardson) — we've all been here and played a little. We know what to do. Now we'll get better once we get more playing time."

Of course, the secondary and the rest of the SMU defense have the pleasure of opening the season in a couple of weeks against a Baylor team that averaged more than 52 points per game last season.

"We can't worry about who we play," Richardson said. "That's who's on the schedule, so that's who we'll play."

He acknowledged respect he and his teammates have for the Bears' offense, but said that respect does not translate to nervousness.

"I wouldn't say I get nervous before any game," he said. "At the end of the day, it's football. They suit up just like we do. There may be some pre game jitters for some guys, but once you make that first hit, that goes away, and you just play."

Regardless of the outcome in Waco, Richardson said he likes what he sees in the 2014 SMU secondary, including some of the young players vying for a spot in the rotation.

"Jesse Montgomery," he said when asked which young teammate has caught his eye the most. "He just gets the job done. He's fast, he's tall. You can tell he's learning. Last year, he might have been a little timid (in practice), but he knows the defense a lot more now, and it shows."

Richardson said he also has been impressed by some of the young players he covers every day in practice.

"Jeremiah Gaines can sneak up on you," Richardson said. "He's so big and strong, but he's quicker than he looks. Ryheem Malone is going to be really good, too, even though he has only been here a few days … and (Cedric) Lancaster is already good. He makes a lot of plays, too."

[JoeKidd]

Man, I really hope the secondary can pull it together. We need JR back to and then I think we have a fighting chance if everyone stays healthy to be better back there this year. Baylor's a tough team to shake out a new secondary on though, but might as well see how they fair against one of the best O's in the country.

[footballdad]

Ryheem Malone gets another mention